The Robert Brace – Martha Pollock Wedding,
Kanumbra, 12 October, 1917.
The following report was forwarded to me by Darryl Mewett, researcher of Mewett family history worldwide, which he found while delving into Trove for newspaper reports which included the name Mewett; as you will see in the body of the report Mrs P. Mewett was listed as a donor of cutlery to her sister Martha Pollock on the occasion of Martha’s marriage/wedding to Robert Brace.
The report was from the Yea Chronicle published 18 October 1917 and headed “Orange Blossom”. I reproduce it as published (except for punctuation modifications) but will explain the personalities and their relationships as a postscript; these people included my mother, grandparents, aunts, and great-aunts and great uncles.
A very pretty wedding took place on Wednesday, 12 October 1917, at “Spring Vale” Kanumbra, the residence of Mr John McGuigan. The contracting parties were Robert (late of the A.I.F.), son of Mr R. Brace of Kerrisdale, and Martha Elizabeth, daughter of Mr and Mrs W. Pollock of Bonnie Doon. The Rev W. C. Jones, of Alexandra, performed the ceremony.
The bride, who was given away by her father, was attired in a very pretty gown of white China silk with soft lace and ninon effect, and wore the customary wreath and veil, and carried a bouquet of trumpet lilies, snowdrops and asparagus fern. Miss Marion Pollock, who acted as bridesmaid, was dressed in a Fugi silk costume. Mr H. McGuigan acted as best man.
There were about 30 relatives and friends present, and the exquisite breakfast was a picture of perfectness. Mrs H. Day, a resident of Kanumbra, is responsible for this most important adjunct, and is to be highly commended for the manner in which she laid out and superintended the dainty repast. The usual toasts were proposed and responded to in an able manner.
The happy couple left by motor en route for Melbourne amid the hearty good wishes of their friends and showers of confetti. The travelling costume was of navy serge, with hat to match.
The presents were as follow;
Bride to bridegroom, gold sleeve links.
Bridegroom to bride, gold pendant and chain, and to the bridesmaid, a gold bangle.
Miss E. McGuigan, household linen, tea set and cheque.
Mr J. McGuigan, cheque.
Mr and Mrs W. Pollock, cheque.
Mrs R. S. Black, sugar basin and cake dish.
Mrs P. Mewett, cutlery.
Miss A. Pollock, salad bowl.
Miss Marion Pollock, silver butter dish and knife.
Miss Annie Pollock, silver cruet.
L.Cpl. D. Pollock, cheque.
Mr Thompson, cheque.
Mrs Thompson, silver cruet.
Master W. Thompson, pair silver salt cellars.
Miss L. Thompson, silver and glass honey jar.
Miss M. Thompson, silver butter dish and knife.
Mr and Mrs Jas. McGuigan and Mrs Mintern, silver teapot.
Mr H. McGuigan, silver and glass sweets jar.
Mr and Mrs H. Kubiel, cheque.
Mrs Almond, cheese dish.
Miss Jean Almond, pair of vases.
Miss Madge Almond, butter dish and sugar basin.
Postscript: 1. The bride, Martha (“Markie”) Elizabeth, was the youngest child of my grandparents, William and Mary Anne Pollock. Her mother possibly suffered what we now call “post-natal depression” after the birth of Martha and was not coping well with her larger family. Her sister, Elizabeth McGuigan, single and childless, gathered up her niece and took her home to care for her at Kanumbra. John McGuigan, bachelor farmer, was no doubt easily inveigled into this arrangement. It is understandable that the wedding was held at “Spring Vale”, the McGuigan farm.
2. Martha’s sister, Marion Pollock, the bridesmaid, remained single and was later carer and housekeeper to her mother, Mary Anne.
3. Mr H McGuigan, the best man, was Herbert James, son of James McGuigan, and cousin of the bride.
4. Mrs R S Black was Martha’s eldest sister, Lily Florence, married to Robert Stanley Black, farmer of Ancona Road, Woodfield.
5. Mrs P Mewett was another sister, Margaret (Maggie), married to Percy Mewett (the blogger’s parents; thereafter, Maggie always gave cutlery sets as wedding presents).
6. Miss A Pollock was another sister, Alice, later married to Angus Boyd and settled in W.A.
7. Miss Annie Pollock was sister Mary Ann, later married to George McLean.
8. L/Cpl David Pollock, brother, was overseas with the A.I.F. at the date of the wedding.
9. Mrs Thompson would have been Martha’s Aunt Martha, married to Jack Thompson of thereabouts.
10. James McGuigan was Mary Anne Pollock’s twin brother, uncle of the bride.
11. Mrs Mintern was Irene Jane, daughter of James McGuigan, and cousin of the bride.
12. Mrs Kubiel was Jane McGuigan, married to Ernest Henry Kubiel, and younger sister of Mary Anne Pollock and aunt of the bride.
13. Mrs Almond was Margaret McGuigan, sister of Mary Anne Pollock, married to Robert Almond, and mother of Jean and Madge Almond, cousins of the bride.
14. Robert “Bob” Brace and Martha were parents of seven children:
Faith (Mrs Kipping)
Lorna (Mrs Wentworth)
Hazel
Mervyn (married to Mary “Girlie” McMahon)
Shirley (Mrs Scott)
Brenda
Roma
15. Bob Brace had been a bullocky in his young days and retained the bullocky’s colorful language even after years of farming and a long convalescence and retirement. When I read the first chapter of Joseph Furphy’s Such Is Life with the bullock teamsters yarning around the campfire with their “bloody”s, and “hell”s etc. portrayed by Furphy in words acceptable to the puritans of the 19th Century in brackets, I think of Uncle Bob and his yarns when I visited the Braces at Mackay Street, Seddon, say, fifty years ago.
– almewett
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